'/"'-//         \         l<$ 

!/:)'  (££'  c^> 


Mr.  Barnarfis 

DISCOURSE 

PREACHED 
At  the  Public  Le&ure  in 
16  July   1761. 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

GIFT  OF 

Lewis  F,  Lengfeld 


T    H 


True  Divinity  of 

JESUS  CHRIST  ; 

Evidenced  in  a 

DISCOURSE 

A    T 

The  Public  Le&ure  in  Bofion, 
The  Day  after  the  Commencement, 

July   1 6,    1761,- 
And  Publiihed  at  the  Defire  of  the  Hearers, 

By  JOHNRARNARD,  A.M. 

Paftor  of  a  Church  *m  MARBLEHEAD. 


/,  even  /,  am  JEHOVAH,  and  befide  me  there  //  no  SAVIOUR. 

!f*.   43-   " 
Ths  Man  that  it  my  Fellow,  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofii. 

Zee.    Ig.    7- 


BOSTON:    N.  E. 

Printed  aqJ  Sold  by  EDES  and  GILL, 


. 


• 

k  J  '. 


- 


m       v 


The  true  Divinity  of  JESUS  CHRIST. 


I    JOjHN      V.      20, 

This  is  the  true  GOD. 


• 


Belief  of  the  Being  of  an  intelligent 
Agent,  eternally  felf-exiftent,  and  inde- 
pendent,  the  firft  Caufe  of  all  Things, 
the  fupream  Governour  of  all  Worlds, 
to  whom  all  rational  Agents  muft  be 
accountable,  is  the  only  fure  and  folid  Foundation  of 
all  Religion :  for  he,  that  cometh  to  God,  mujt  believe 
that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  Reiuarder  of  them  that 
diligently  feek  him.  The  juft  Conceptions  in  our  own 
Minds  of  the  true  GOD  include  in  them  every  poffi- 
ble  Excellency,  and  that  in  the  higheft  Degree  of 
Perfection  ;  and  may  well  ftrike  us  with  the  pro- 
foundeft  Aw  and  Reverence,  infpire  us  with  the  moft 
fervent  Love  and  Complacency ,  and  excite  us  to  the 
Jiigheft  Obedience  and  deeped  Submiffion. 

BUT  of  what  high  and  mighty,  of  what  illuftn- 
ous  and  augufi:  Pcrfon  does  the  infpired  \Vriter  here 
moft  ftrongly  affirm  ?  This  is  the  true  GOD.  This 
feems  to  be  the  only  Thing  neceffary  to  be  enquired 
into,  that  we  may  come  into  a  clear  and  full  Under- 
ftanding  of  the  Words  'now  read.  And  it  appears,  to. 
me,  a  Matter  of  no  great  Difficulty,  to  attain  to  a  la- 
tisfa&ory  Anfwer  tg  the  Enquiry,  if  we  do  but  im- 
prove our  common  unbiaf^d  Reafon,  in  a  clofe  Atten- 
tion 


6  The  true  Divinity 

iipn  to  the  Apoftle's  own  Language,  in  the  Verfe 
which  contains  the  Words  of  our  Text.  Says  he, 
We  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given 
us  an  Undemanding  that  we  may  know  him  that  is 
true  ;  and  we  are  in  him  that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son 
Jefus  Chrift ;  this  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  Life. 
We  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come.  There  is  no 
Difficulty  in  underftanding,  the  Son  of  God  is  come, 
to  mean  our  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST,  who  is  the  SON 
OF  GOD,  and  hath  appeared  in  this  our  World ;  for 
the  Words  cannot  be  undcrftood  of  any  othejr.  And 
bath  given  us  an  Under/landing,  (a  thjnking,  reafon- 
ing  Mind, )  that  we  may  know  him  that  z>  true,  (or  the 
ttue  one).  The  Connexion  plainly  {hews  that  he  fpcaks 
pf  fhe  SON  of  Gop  giwng  us  an  U rider/landing,  (an 
enlightened  Mind,)  that  we  may  know  him  that  is  true, 
or  the  true  one.  And  adds  the  Apoftle,  we  are  in  him 
that  is  true]  that  is,  by  Faith  engrafting  us  into  JESI  > 
CHRIST.  For  that  he  intends, •  JESUS  CHRIST  by 
the  SON  of  GOD,  and  the  true  one,  he  plainly  telleth 
us  in  the  next  Words,  even  in  his  Son  Jcfus  Chrift. 
The  Apoftle  does  not  here  fpeak  of  another  Subjeft, 
but  evidently  explains  whom  he  meant  by  him  that 
is  true-,  and  therefore  our  Tranflators  ji)irly  fay,  even 
in  his  Son  Jefus  Chrijl.  The  whole  Difcpurfe  evi- 
dently fpcaks  of  one  and  the  fame  jSubject,  namely, 
the  SON  of  GOD,  or  JESUS  CHRIST,  the  true  one. 
And  then  the  Apoille  pofitivcly  affirms,  This  is  the 
true  God.  That  is,  This  SON  of  GOD,  This  him. 
that  is  true,  This  JESUS  CHRIST,  is  the  true  God. 

SOME,  indeed,  fupply  the  Word,  the  true,  witla 
the  \Ycrd  God,  and  fo  render  it,  we  are  in  him  the 

true 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  7 

true  God  ;  with  Defign,  it  is  to  be  feared^  to  evade 
the  Force  of  the  Apoftle's  Reafoning,  and  what  he 
chiefly  aims  at.  But  admit  their  Supplement,  without 
their  wrong  Comment- upon  what  follows,  and  it 
teally  confirms  what  the  Apoftle  aflerts,  ive  are  in  the 
true  God,  in  his  Son  Jefus  Chrijt.  Only  the  Supple- 
ment feems  to  ;be  too  great  an  Inaccuracy  for  an  in- 
fpired  Writer  ;  *we  are  in  the  true  God,  this  is  the  trus 
God.  By  this  Supplement,  which  they  fuppofed  to 
mean  one  efTentially  diftincl:  from  JESUS  CHRIST, 
they  intended  to  exclude  JESUS  CHRIST  from  being 
the  true  GOD,  whereas  the  Apoftle  exprefly  affirms  of 
Him,  THIS  is  THE  TRUE  GOD.  The  proper  Sig- 
nification of  the  Tronoun  here  ufed,  in  the  Original, 
neceflarily  infers,  that  the  Words  the  true  God,  re- 
fer to  JESUS  CHRIST,  And  eternal  Life,  adds  the 
divine :  by  which  Mode  of  Speech  the  Apoftle  feve- 
ral  Times  in  this  Epiftle,  and  in  this  very  Chapter^ 
charafterifes  JESUS  CHRIST,  and  hereby  gives  fur-^ 
ther  Confirmation  to  the  Truth  he  intended,  that 
JESUS, CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD. 

THE  Form  of  Speech,  thro'out  the  whole  Verfe, 
is  fo  clear,  and  plain,  and  agreeable  to  common  Lan- 
guage, that  an  ordinary  Underftanding,  for  wrhofe  Ufe 
the  Words  were  wrote,  cannot  eafily  miftake  it ; 
however  a  vain  Mind  ;nay  pervert  it.  And  now, 
having  fuch  an  infpired  Writer  going  before  us,  in 
afferting  it,  and  who  defignedly  wrote  in  Defence  of 
the  Divinity  of  CHRIST,  we  may,  without  Hefitan- 
cy,  lay  it  dc\vn  for  a  dcftrinal  Truth, 

THAT 


8  The  true  Drvinlty 

THAT  JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  -TRUE  GOD. 
That  JES.I/S  CHRIST,  the  SON  of  GOD,  him  that 
is  true,  is  truely,  really,  eflentially,  GOD.  He  is  not 
merely  nominally,  titularly,  by  Deputation,  Of  Office^ 
but  trucly,  by  Nature  >  and  EflenCe,  GOD. 

I  to  diftourfing  upon  this  Subject,  I  fliall  Hot  look 
upon  myfelf  as  any  Ways  concerned  to  treat  it  in  a 
philosophical  Manner  }  forasmuch  as  all  that  can  be 
affirmed,  or  denyed,  about  it,  muftbe  fetched  intirely 
from  divine  Revelation,,  the  Pillar  and  Gr6und  of 
Truth  i  and  therefore,  that  I  may  not  pretend  to  be 
wife  above  what  is  written,  I  fliall  confine  myfelf  to 
that  facred  Volumn,  fufficiently  confirmed  unto  us, 
which  all  Chriftians  acknowledge  to  contain  a  Reve- 
lation from  GOD  ;  and  endeavouf,  in  what  I  have  td 
offer,  to'takt  Heed  unto  that  more  fare  Word  o 
cy,  as  unto  a  Light  thatjhineth  in  a  dark 


O  THOU  SON  of  GOD  !  who  art  the  true  Light  ^ 
irradiate  our  Minds,  and  give  to  us  _an  Underftand- 
ing,  that  we  may  know  Thee  the  only  true  One,  as" 
thou  haft  revealed  Thyfelf  to  us  in  thy  holy  Word  ; 
that  knowing  of  Thee,  we  may  be  in  Thee  •  and, 
being  in  Thee,  may  have  eternal  Life. 

THAT!  may  difcourfe  intelligibly,  I  fhall  as 
plainly,  and  briefly,  as  I  can, 

I.  SHEW  what  we  underftand  by  JESUS  CHRIST 
his  being.  the  TRUE  GOD.         And  then, 

II.  LAY 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  9 

II.  LAY  before  you  fuch  Evidences,  from  the  fa-- 
cred  Writings,  as  are  fully  conviftive,  to  me,  of 
His  being  the  TRUE  GOD. 

I.  I  SHALL  as  briefly,  as  the  Subject  will  admit, 
fhew  you  what  we  underftand,  by  JESUS  CHRIST 
his  being  the  TRUE  GOD.  Iii  the  ftating  of  this 
Truth,  I  obferve, 

THAT  it  cannot  in  Reafon  be  fuppofed,  that  we 
mean,  (for  we  do  not,)  that  the  Humane  Nature,  in 
the  Man  JESUS  ;  or,  that  any  mere  Creature,  of  the 
higheft  pollible  Order  of  created  Beings,  and  when- 
foever  formed,  appearing  in  our  Nature,  is  the  TRUE 
GOD.  For  GOD  Himfelf,  in  his  holy  Word  hath 
plainly  faid,  Hof.  XL  9.  lam  GOD,  and  not  MAN. 
Accordingly  we  have  ever  under  flood,  and  openly  de- 
clared, as  the  holy  Writings  abundantly  hold  forth, 
that  there  is  an  eflential  Difference  and  infinite  Dif- 
tance  between  the  TRUE  GOD,  and  the  moil  excel- 
lent and  exalted,  mere  Creature'  whatever.  And 
therefore  our  Adverfaries  treat  us  very  injurioufly, 
when  they  run  away  with  the  Cry  of  the  Self-Con- 
traditions  of  our  Doctrine  ;  as  tho*  we  fet  up  a  mere 
Creature  to  be  eternal,  felf-exifting  and  independent ; 
and  vilify  the  Doftrine  of  JESUS  CHRIST  his  being 
the  TRUE  GOD,  as  fo  grofs  an  Abfurdity,  as  to  be 
fit  oniy  to  be  turned  into  Ridicule ;  hereby  plainly 
evidencing,  that  they  know  not  what  they  fay,  nor 
whereof  they  affirm. 

NOR  do  we,  by  affcrting,  that  JESUS  CHRIST  is 
the  TRUE  GOD,  in  the  leafl  imagine,  that  there  is 

B  more 


cr*i  T~N  •     •    • 

10  The  true  Divinity 

more  than  One  truly  Divine  Nature,  or  EfTence.  For 
we  firmly  believe,  and  conftantly  teach,  that  there  is 
but  One,  only  living ,  and  true  GOD,  as  the  facred 
Scriptures  have  abundantly  afTured  us.  For  fo  we 
read,  Deut.  VI.  4.  Hear  O  Ifrael,  the  Lord  our  God, 
is  one  Lord.  And  David,  in  his  Prayer,  fays,  2  Sam. 

VII.  22.  Wherefore  thou  art  great,  O  Lord  God,  for 
there  is  none  like  thee,  neither  is  there  any  God  be- 

fides  thee.  And  we  have  the  Divine  Being  affuming 
it  unto  Himfelf,  I/a.  XLV.  5.  I  am  the  Lord,  and 

|  there  is  none  elfe,  there  is  no  God  befides  me.  After 
which,  fuffer  me  to  add,  the  Apoftle  aflures  us,  i  Cor. 

VIII.  4.  There  is  no  God  but  one.     This   Revelation 
we  heartily  embrace,  and  are  at  the  utmoft  Diftance 
from  advancing  any  Doftrine  of  Polytheifm. 

Bur  then,  by  JESU^S  CHRIST  his  being  the  TRUE 
GOD,  we  underfiand,  the  Divine  Nature,  or  Effence, 
in  the  eternal  Three-one  GOD  communicating  of  it- 
felf  to  the  Humane  Nature  in  the  Man  Jefus ;  or, 
if  you  will,  taking  the  Humane  Nature,  in  the  Man 
'Jefus,  into  an  Union  with  itfelf,  in  fuch  a  fpecial  and 
appropriate  Manner,  as  to  conltitute  thereby  one  Ter- 
Jon  ;  by  Virtue  of  which  Union  JESUS  CHRIST  bet 
comes  TRULY  GOD,  as  well  as  really  MAN.  All  of" 
this  appears  plain,  to  me,  from  the  facred  Writings. 

For  it  is  very  evident,  that  the  facred  Language  is 
expreffive  of  a  ^Plurality  in  the  Divine  Eflcnce,  tho' 
there  be  but  One  GOD.  Therefore  the  Name,  or 
Style,  of  GOD,  the  Creator  of  all  Things,  thro'out 
the  frft  Chapter  of  Genefis,  runneth  in  the  Tlural 
Number,  and  that  not  for  want  of  a  Singular,  as  a 

late 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  1 1 


late  Writer  has  well  obferved.  It  is  alfo  very 
expreffed,  Gen.  I.  26.  Godfaid,  let  us  make  Man  in 
OUR  Image.  And,  Gen.  III.  22.  T&<?  LORD  GOD 
faid,  behold,  the  Man  is  become  as  one  of  us.  And 
in  the  forementioned,  Deut.  VI.  4.  the  Hebrew  runs, 
<Tbe1LoRD,our  GOD,  ^LoRD,  zV  ONE  :  which  fully 
aflerts  the  Unity  of  the  Deity,  and  a  Trinity  in  that 
Unity  ;  which  'Trinity  wears  the  Character  of  the  Fa- 
ther >  the  Word  or  Son,  and  the  Holy  G ho/I -or  Spirit, 
thro'out  the  Divine  Revelation, 

THAT  the  Divine  Nature,  or  EfTence,  and  moft 
probably  in,  or  under,  the  fecond  Character,  or  Deno- 
mination, in  the  facred  Trinity,  the  Son,  or  our  God, 
hath  communicated  itfelf  to  the  Humane  Nature, 
or  taken  this  Nature,  in  the  Man  JESUS,  into  an  in- 
timate Union  with  itfelf,  is  evident,  not  only  from  the 
ancient  Prediction  thereof,  but  from  the  aclual  Accom- 
plifliment  of  this  Prediction,  in  the  Fulnefs  of  Time. 
Therefore  we  are  told,  i  Tim.  III.  1 6.  Without  Con- 
troverj),  great  is  the  Myjtery  of  Qodliriefs,  GCD  was 
manifeft  In  FLESH  :  and,  Heb.  IJ.  i  6.  Ear. verity, He 
took  not  on  Him  the  Nature  of  Angels,  but  He  look 
on\  Him  the  Seed  of  Abraham.  Which  ncceflariiy 
implies  and  afferts  the  Union  of  the  Divine  Eflence 
to  the  Humanity  ;  and  this  with  a  fpecial  Regar4  to 
the  Humane  Nature  in  the  Man  JESUS. 

AND  further,  that  this  Union  of  the  Deity  to  the 

Humane  Nature,  in  our  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST,  is  fo 
(pccial  and  appropriate,  as  not  to  be  affirmed  of  any 
other  ;  and  ib  clofe  and  intimate  as  to  conftitutc 
pne  T^rfon,  appears,  in  that  what  is  proper  and  pe- 

li   2  culiar 


12  The  true  Divinity 

culiar  to  each  Nature,  either  the  Divine,  or  Humane^ 
in  the  incarnate  S'ON  of  GOD,  is  in  Scripture  applied 
to  the  Terfon  of  JESUS  CH  RIST,  without  dividing,  or 
confounding  the  two  Natures.  Thus,  when  our  blefied 
Lord  was  upon  Earth,  He  faid  of  Himfelf,  Job.  III.  1 3. 
No  Man  hath  afcended  up  to  Heaven,  but  He  that 
came  down  from  Heaven,  even  the  Son  of  Man 
'which  is  in  Heaven.  And  hence  the  Sufferings,  Cru- 
cifixion and  Death,  which  were  proper  only  to  the 
Humane  Nature^  are  afcribed  to  the  Deity  in  JESUS 
CHRIST,  and  the  Blood  which  He  fhed,  is  called  the 
Blood  of  God,  Att.  XX.  28. 

IN  this  Senfe  it  is,  we  affirm  that  JESUS  CHRIST 
is  the  TRUE  GOD,  forasmuch  as  the  Divine  Effence, 
in  the  Chara&er  of  the  SON,  hath  taken  the  Humane 
Nature,  in  the  Man  JESUS,  into  fuch  an  intimate  and 
infeparable  Union  unto  Hirnfelf,  as  to  render  the  Di- 
vine and  Humane  Nature  in  Him  one  Terfon  ;  and 
thus  He  is  truely  and  properly  GOD,  and  truely  and 
properly  MAN. 

I  proceed  now, 

II.  To  lay  before  you  fuch  Evidences  from  the 
facred  Writings,  as  are  fully  conviftive  to  me,  that 
JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD.  Audi  fhall  coiu- 
prife  the  Proofs  I  have  to  offer  under  thefe  four  Heads. 

1 .  TH  E  Titles  that  are  gi*en  to  Him. 

2.  THE  Attributes  of  the  TRUE  GOD,  which  are 
afcribed  to  Him. 

3.  THE  Works  of  GQD,  which  were  wrought  by 
Him.  4.  THE 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  i? 

4.  THE  peculiar  Honours  of  GOD,  which  are  due 
to  Him. 

IF  thefe  Things  are  to  be  found  belonging  to 
JESUS  CHRIST,  whatever  may  be  opr  Conception  of 
the  Way  and  Manner,  by  which  this  is  brought  about, 
and  tho'  we  fhould  happen  to  be  miftaken  in  our  At- 
tempts to  give  an  Explication  of  this  Myftery  of  God- 
linefs,  it  will  evidently  appear  that  He  is  really,  in 
the  full  and  proper  Senfe  of  the  Words,  the  TRUE 
GOD.  I  'fhall  offer  fometJtiipg  to  each  of  thefe 
Heads  in  their  Order. 

i.  THE  Titles  that  are  given  to  JESUS  CHRIST 
carry  in  them  a  Proof  of  His  beiag  the  TRUE  GOD. 
As  that  Title  the  SON  of  GOD.  By  this  He  is  often 
denominated  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  fo>,  Mark  I.  i. 
The  Gofpelqf  JESUS  CHRIST  the  SON  of  GOD.  We 
find  Teter  making  that  noble  Confeffion  of  Him, 
Job.  VI.  69.  We  believe  and  are  fur e}  that  thou  art 
that  CHRIST  the  SON  of  the  living  GOD.  And  our 
bleflfed  Lord,  who  is  the  Truth,  affirmed  this  of  Hin>- 
felf  ;  when  the  high  Prieft  afked  Him,  art  thou  the 
CHRIST,  the  SON  of  the  BLPLSSED  .?djEsus  faid,  1 
am,  Mar.  XIV.  62.  And  fo  often  is  He  ftyled  the 
SON  of  GOD  in  the  'New  Teftament,  that  there  is 
no  Room  to  call  in  Queftion  His  wearing  this  Title. 
But  then  it  is  to  be  obferved,  the  facrcd  Writings 
point  out  JESUS  CHRIST, as  the  SON  of  God,  in  an 
higher  and  more  exalted  Senfe,  than  is  to  be  affirmed 
of  any  Creature ;  either,  by  Similitude  or  Office,  by 
Adoption  or  Regeneration  :  and  therefore  ftyle  Him 
the  Begotten  SON  of  Gpp.  As  the  Apofk  fpcaklng 

of 


14  The  true  Divinity 

of  JESUS  CHRIST,  whom  GOD  raifedfrom  theDead, 
applies  to  Him  what  is  faid  in  the  fecond  Pfalm,  Acl. 
XIII.  33.  Thou  art  my  SON,  this  Day  have  I  begotten 
Thee.  And  He  is  often  ftyled,  the  Only-begotten  SON 
of  GOD  ;  plainly  denoting  that  there  is  none  among 
all  the  Creatures  in  Earth,  or  Heaven,  who,  is  the  SON 
of  GOD,  in  that  highly  exalted  and  peculiar  Senfe, 
in  which  the  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST  is.  So  we  read, 
Job.  III.  I  6.  GoDfo  loved  the  World,  that  He  gave 
his  Only-begotten  SON.  And  I  cannot  but  think,  that 
the  Words  mean  no  lefs  than  to  hand  to  our  Minds, 
that  JESUS  CHRIST  is  as  truely  and  properly  the 
SON  of  GOD,  as  Ifaac  was  the  Son  of  Abraham,  whom 
^Abraham  is  faid  to  beget  :  nor  can  it  reafonably  he 
fuppofed,  that  the  divine  Being  has  given  fuch  an  high 
Character  of  his  SON,  and  fo  diftinguifhed  Him  from 
all  created  Beings,  with  Defign  to  impofe  upon  our 
Underftan dings  ;  and  therefore  this  Title,  thus  given 
to  JESUS  CHRIST,  carries  in  it  a  ftrong  Evidence, 
that  he  truely  partakes  of  the  Divine  Nature,  as 
every  proper  Son  partakes  of  the  fame  Nature  with 
his  Father  ;  and  fo  He  is  the  TRUE  GOD, 

THUS  alfo'  JESUS  CHRIST  has  the  T/V/^of  Gop, 
in  exprefs  Terms  put  upon  Him.  So  He  is  called 
EMANUEL,  GOD  ivith  us  ;  Math.  I.  23.  Or,  Gop 
in  our  Nature.  Hence  we  have  that  fublime  PafTage 
of  the  Evangelift,  Job.  I.  I .  In  the  Beginning  fwc,s 
the  Word,  and  the  Word  ivas  ivith  GOD,  and  the 
Word -was  GOD.  That  WORD  which  we  are  told 
at  the  i^thver.  was  made  FLESH,  (which  evidently 
means  JESUS  CHRIST,)  that  WORD  was  'with  Gop, 
in  the  Beginning,  before  all  Worlds ;  and  the  WORD 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  15 

•was  GOD,  one  with  GOD,  participating  of  the  fame 
Nature  and  Effence  with  GOD.  The  Subject  here 
fpoken  of  is  the  WORD,  as  is  evident  from  the  Ar- 
ticle preceding,  as  is  the  Manner  of  the  Greek  Lan- 
guage ;  and  what  is  affirmed  of  this  WORD  is,  that  it 
was  GOD,  in  the  full  Purport  and  natural  Meaning  of 
the  Phrafe.  Nor  is  there  the  leaft  Hint  in  all  the  Chap- 
ter ;  that  by  the  Word  GOD  in  die  latter  Claufe  is 
to  be  under  Rood  GOD,  by  Deputation  or  Office,  titu- 
larly  and  by  Way  of  Eminency,  or  in  any  figura- 
tive Senfe  wliatfoever.  But  as  by  the  Word  GOD, 
In  the  former  Claufe,  was  'with  GOD,  is  meant 
the  true  proper  Deity,  or  Divine  Effence  ;  fo  in  this 
latter  Claufe,  the  Word  ivas  GOD,  (and  fo  thro'out 
the  whole  Chapter,}  the  Word  GOD  fignifies  the  Oney 
only  living  and  true  GOD  ;  and  cannot,  without  a 
great  Abufe  of  Language,  be  underftood  to  mean  any 
other.  It  muft  therefore  be  to  ferve  fonie  idle  Scheme 
of  vain  Thilofophy,  for  any  to  torture  the  Word,  and 
themfelves  too,  to  mean  fome  Being,  and  that  a  mere 
Creature,  elTentially  diftincl  from,  and  infinitely  below 
the  TRUE  GOD.  According  to  their  Method  of  cri- 
ticifing,  they  muft  fuppofe,  or  neccflarily  imply  in 
what  they  fay,  that  the  infinitely  wife  and  good  GOD 
does  not  fpeak  intelligibly  to  the  common  Capacities 
of  Mankind,  but  defignedly  exprefles  Himfclf  in  fuch 
Terms  as  they  could  not  know  the  Meaning  of ; 
which  would  be  to  tax  the  Holy  GOD  with  fraudu- 
lent Dealing,  and  turn  the  facred  Writings 'into  unin- 
telligible Language.  Again,  we  read,  Tit.  III.  4.  After 
that  the  Kindncfs  and  Love  of  GOD  OUR  SAVIOUR 
towards  Man  appeared.  OUR  SAVIOUR  is  the  appro- 
priate Character  of  JESUS  CHRIST,  plainly  pointing 

to, 


1 6  The  true  Dmmfy 

to,  and  defcribing  Him  thro'out  the  whole  Gofpel  ; 
and  He  is  here  ftyled  GOD  in  exprefs  Terms ;  as  alfo 
in  fcveral  other  Places  in  this  Epiftle^  as  well  as  elfe- 
\vhere.  GOD  OUR  SAVIOUR,  or,  as  the  Greek  may 
be  juftly  rendered,  the  SAVIOUR  OUR  GOD.  Here, 
again,  we  muft  obfcrve,  that  the  Article  ufed  be- 
fore SAVIOUR, determines  the  Subjeft  fpoken  of  to  be 
the  SAVIOUR,  and  what  Is  affirmed  concerning  Him 
is,  that  He  is  OUR  GOD.  And  what  is  there  in  the 
Text  or  Context  to  lead  us  into  the  Conception,  that 
the  Word  GOD  here  ufed  does  not  mean  the  fame 
Divine  Ejfince,  that  it  means  in  all  the  other  Parts 
of  the  Epiftle ;  but  denominates  fome  one  pecu- 
liarly dignified  Creature,  which  yet  is  at  an  infinite 
Diftance  from  the  TRUE  GOD  ?  I  will  only  name  the 
forecited  Text,  I  Tim.  III.  1 6.  GOD  manifefl  in 
FLESH.  Can  Words  be  plainer?  What  is  there  in 
them,  or  what  they  ftand  related  to,  to  make  us  think 
they  are  not  ipoken  of  the  Divine  Effence,  but  of  a 
mere  Creature  ?  Verily,  without  a  violent  forcing  of* 
them,  they  are  plainly  expreffive  of  the  TRUE  GOD, 
in  the  full  and  proper  Meaning  of  the  Words,  and 
aifert  that  this  GOD  was  manifeft  in  FLESH,  or  united 
to  the  Hurimne  Nature  in  the  MAN  JESUS  ~  and  fo 
our  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD. 

THERE  are  other  Titles  which  are  given  to  JESUS 
CHRIST,  too  many  to  be  now  taken  Notice  of;  but 
I  fhall  only  mention  this  in  the  laft  Place  at  prefentr, 
I'/'z.  He  is  called  JEHOVAH.  This  venerable  Name 
is  peculiarly  fignificative  of  the  Divine  EJfence,  and 
denotes  the  ever  living  One,  and  is  appropriated  to 
the  TRUE  GOD  alone,  being  incommunicable  unto  any 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  17 

mere  Creature.  Hence  we  have  the  Tfalmift  faying, 
Tfal.  LXXXIII.  18.  Thou  -whofe  Name  alone  is  JE- 
HOVAH ;  and  GOD  Himfelf  faying,  I/a.  XLII.  8.  / 
am  JEHOVAH  ;  that  is  my  Name  ;  and  my  Glory  'will 
I  not  give  to  another.  And  yet  we  find  in  the  facred 
Writ  this  appropriated  Name  of  the  only  TRUE  GOD 
given  to  JESUS  CHRIST,  the  MESSIAH,  the  SON  of 
GOD.  Eve,  at  the  Birth  of  her  firft  born  Son,  with 
a  Sort  of  Ecitacy,  cried  out,  Gen,  IV.  i .  I  have 
gotten  a  Man,  /^JEHOVAH:  fuppofing  the  firft 
Promife  of  the  Seed  of  the  Woman  had  been  then 
fulfilled.  The  Prophet  IJaiah,  fpcaking  of  Johns 
coming  in  the  Spirit  and  Power  of  Elias,  as  the  Fore- 
runner of  our  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST,  faid,  Ifa.  XL.  3. 
The  Voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  Wildernefs,  prepare 
ye  the  Way  of  JEHOVAH.  Jeremi  ah,  fpcaking  of  the 
righteous  Branch  that  fhould  be  raifed  up  unto  David, 
to  reign  and  fave  his  People,  faid,  Jer.  XXIII.  6.  This 
is  His  Name,  ivhereby  Hejhall  be  called,  J  E  H  OVA  H , 
our  Right  eoufnejs.  When  Ifrael  tempted  GOD  in  the 
Wildcrnefs,  and  JEHOVAH  fent  fiery  Serpents  among 
them,  an  infpired  Expofitor  direftly  applies  it  to 
CHRIST,  faying,  i  Cor.  X.  9.  They  tempted CHRIST. 
When  Ifaiah  had  a  Vifion  of  JEHOVAH  fitting  upon 
His  Throne,  the  infpired  Apojile  aflureth  us,  Joh.  1 2. 
4 1 .  Thefe  Things  J  aid  Ifaias,  luhen  he  faw  His  Glory, 
(the  Glory  of  CHRIST,)  andfpake  of  Him. 

AN D  I  doubt  not  but  the  Style  JEHOVAH,  in  the 
Old  Tcflament,  is  almoft  conftantly  to  be  underftood 
of  the  MESSIAH,  the  CHRIST,  who  was  the  Angel 
at  the  Covenant,  the  God  of  Abraham >  Ijliac  and 
Jacob,  the  JEHOVAH  that  appeared  to  Mofcs  in  the 

C  burning 


i8  The  true  Divinity 

burning  Bufh,  who  dwelled  between  the  Cherubims, 
and  was  peculiarly  the  God  of  Ifrad ;  as  KURIOS, 
into  which  the  Septuagint  conftantly  tranflates  JEHO- 
VAH, is  peculiar  to  JESUS  CHRIST  in  theNewTefta- 
ment.  But  I  may  not  enlarge  here,  nor  need  I,  fince 
you  have  had  fo  elaborate  and  judicious  a  Difcourfe, 
upon  the  venerable  Name  JEHOVAH,  lately  put  into 
your  Hands.  I  therefore  go  on  to  fay, 

i  '  -^      *•  *  *«J    i         • 

2,  THE  Afcrlption  of  the  Divine  Attributes  to 
CHRIST  is  a  full  Proof  of  His  being  the  TRUE  GOD. 
I  do  not  now  mean  to  go  over  all  the  Divine  Attri- 
butes, fome  of  which  may  be  common  to  Creatures, 
but  only  to  take  Notice  of  fuch  of  them  as  are  pe- 
culiarly defcriptive  of  the  TRUE  GOD,  whereby  He 
is  known  and  diftinguilhed  from  all  other  Beings,  as 
a  Man  is  known  by  his  Name ;  and  (hew,  that  thefe 
incommunicable  Perfections  of  the  Deity  belong  to 
JESUS  CHRIST,  which  neceflarily  infers  that  He  is 
the  TRUE  GOD.  I  fhall  have  Time  only  to  fele& 
fome  of  thefe  Attributes,  and  give  you  but  brief 
Touches  upon  them.  Thus, 

Omnifcience  is  peculiar  to  the  Divine  Being,  and 
not  to  be  attributed  to  any  mere  Creature.  Know- 
ledge is  communicable  to  a  rational  Agent,  but  all 
Knowledge  is  one  of  the  diftinguifhing  Characters  of 
the  TRUJE  GOD,  who  is  perfect  in  Knowledge  ;  whofe 
Immenfity  fillethHeaven  and  Earth,  who  is  every  where 
intimately  prefent  with  all  Things,  and,  as  an  intel- 
ligent Being,  therefore  knoweth  all  Things  paft,  pre- 
fent and  to  come.  What  a  beautiful  Defcription  ot 
the  Divine  Omnifcience  and  Omniprefence  does  the 
Tfalmift  give  us,  Tf.  CXXXIX.  init.  O  Lord,  fays 

he, 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  19 

he,  thou  fearchejl  me,    and  know  eft  me  ;  thou  know  eft 
my  down-fitting,  and  my  up-rifing  ;  thou  underftandeft 
my  'Thoughts  afar  off ;  thou  art  acquainted   with  all 
my  Ways  ;  there  is  not  a  Word  under  my  Tongue,  but 
thou  knowejl  it  altogether.     'Tis  a  fpecial  Inftance  and 
peculiar  Prerogative  of  the  Divine  Omnifcience,  which 
no  Creature  can  intermeddle  with,    to  have  a  perfect 
Knowledge  of  the  Hearts  of  Men.     Therefore  Solo- 
mon,  in  his  Prayer,  faid,  II  Cbron.VL  30.  Thou  only 
knowejl  the  Hearts  of  the  Children  of  Men.     And 
GOD  afliimes  it  unto  Himfelf,  as  His  fpecial  Preroga- 
tive, Jer.  XVII.  i  o.  I  the  Lordfearch  the  Heart,    I 
try  the  Reins.     And  yet    this  adorable  Perfection  of 
the  Deity  is   afcribed  to  our  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST. 
Hence  when  He  faid  to  Teter,  Simon,  Son  of  Jonas, 
lovejl  thou  me?  Tefer  replied,  Job.  XXL  17.   Lord, 
thou  knowejl  all  Things,  thou  knowejl  that  I  love  Thee. 
\\rid  the  A.poftle  John  faid  of  Him,  Job.  II.  25.  He 
needed  not,  that  any  Jhould  tejlify  of  Man  ;  for  He 
knew  what  was  in  Man.     Our  bleffed  Lord,  after  His 
Afcention,    afferts  concerning  Himfelf,  Rev.  II.  23. 
/  am   He,   which  fearcheth   the  Reins  and  Heart : 
which  Words   are  evidently  fetched  from  Jeremiah 
XVII.  i  o.  So  that  the  Omnifcience  afcribed  to  JEHO- 
VAH, the  TRUE  GOD,  m  Jeremiah,  is  afcribed  to  JE- 
SUS CHRIST  in  the ^pocalypfe.     And  indeed,  the  ex- 
aft  Agreement,  in  numberlefs  Inftances,  of  what  He 
foretold,  even  of  the  minuteft  Circumftances  of  Things, 
attended  with  a  vaft  Variety  of  fortuitous   Incidents, 
plainly  fpeaks  His  Divine  Omnijcience. 

AGAIN,  Omnipotence  is  another  of  the  divine  At- 
tributes, which  belongetli  to  the  TRUE  GOD  alone, 

C  2  and 


20  The  true  Divinity 

and  not  to  any  mere  Creature  whatever,     Whatever 
Degrees  of  Power  and  Strength  any  Creature  may  be 
furnifhed  withal,  Omnipotence  is  compatible  only  unto 
that  fupream  Being,  who  is  unlimited  in  all  Perfections. 
Therefore  we  find  Job  faying  unto  theLord^^XLII.^. 
Iknoiv  that  thou  canji  do  everything .  And  Abraham  faid, 
Gen.  XVIII.  1 4.  E  any  Thing  too  hard  for  the  Lord  ? 
And  GOD  we^rs  the  Name  of  the  Almighty >    in  the 
holy  Writings,  to  diftinguifh  Him  from   the  feeble, 
limited,    falfe  Gods  of  the  Heathen  World.     Now 
this  glorious  Perfection  of  the  true  GOD  is  attributed 
to  our  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST.     Thus  we  are  told,  Gen. 
XVII.  i .  The  Lord  appeared  unto  Abraham ,  and  faid 
unto  him,  lam  the  almighty  God.  So  He  appeared  unto 
Jacob, andfaidunto  him,  G^;/.X^XV,  1 1.  lam  GOD 
almighty.     And  again,    'Jacob  faid,  Gen.  XLVIII.  4. 
GOD  almighty  appeared  unto  me  at  Luz.     Now,  tho1 
GOD  the  SON  often  appeared  unto  the  Patriarchs,  and 
in  thcShechinah,  yet  GOD  the  FATHER  is  never  fup- 
pofcd  to  have  made  any  Appearance,  in  anyLikencfs, 
Shape  or  Similitude  whatever.     Hence  Mofes   faid, 
Deut.  IV.  1 2.    The  Lord  fpake   unto  you  out  of  the 
Midjl  of  the  Fire  ;  ye  heard  the  Voice  of  the  Words  y 
but  faiv  no  Similitude  :    and  therefore  acids  he,   ver. 
15,  i  6.  Take  ye  therefore  good  Heed  un^oyGurfelves^ — 
left  ye  corrupt  yourj elves  ^  and  make  y  OH  a  graven  Image  y 
the  Similitude  of  any  Figure,  the  Likenefs  of  Male  or 
Female.     It  was  evidently  therefore   GOD   the  SON, 
the  WORD,  or  CHRIST,  who  of  old  appeared  unto 
his  Servants,  and  under  the  Name  and  Style  of  GOD 
ALMIGHTY.  But  left  thisfnouldnotbe  thought  con- 
clufive  enough,  v/e  arc  allured  that  the  four  and  tiven- 
fj  Elders  w<pr{hlp  Him,  laying,  Rr^.Xl.  17.  l!ft g'we. 

fhce 


of   JESUS  CHRIST.  21 

Thee  Thanks,  O  Lord  GOD  ALMIGHTY, —  becaufe 
thou  hajl  taken  to  thee  thy  great  Tower,  and  haft  reign- 
ed. All  of  which  is  moil  certainly  fpoken  of  JESUS 
CHRIST, to  whom  the  Kingdom, Dominion  and  Pow- 
er belongeth,  and  the  Right  to  pour  out  the  Woe  upon 
the  antichrjftian  Adverfary,  and  give  Rewards  unto 
His  faithful  Servants.  But  to  put  it  beyond  all  Doubt, 
it  is  the  enthroned  JESUS  CHRIST  Himfelf,  who  faid, 
Rev.  i .  8.  7  am — the  sllmighty.  In  which  Place,  as 
in  feveral  others,  the  Word  PANTOGRATOR  is  ufed. 

BUT,  that  I  may  remove,  at  leaft  confront  and  fi- 
lence,  the  molt  plaufible  Objections  fome  have  been, 
wpnt  to  make  againft  the  true  Deity  of  CHRIST, 
fetched  from  the  Ideas  of  eternal,  felf-exi/ling  and 
independent,  which  they  allow  to  be  Character!  (ticks 
of  the  TRUE  GOD, v and  fay  they  belong  unto  the 
Father  only,  I  fhall  go  on  to  obferve,  that 

THE  Attribute  of  ETERNAL,  in  the  fullScnfeof 
it,  is  given  to  our  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST  ;  if  not  in 
exprcfs  Words,  yet  by  neceflary  Deduction.  So  John 
the  Divine,  who  wrote  hisGofpel,  as  we  are  told,  de- 
fignedly  to  confirm  the  true  Divinity  of  CHRIST  fays, 
Job.  I.i.  In  the  Beginning  ivas  the  Word.  By  the 
Word,  he  evidently  means  JESUS  CHRIST,  who  ivas 
in  the  World  $  and  dwelt  among  us,  tabernacling  in 
Fle/fj  :  and  what  he  aflerts  of  this  Word  is,  that  Hs 
ivas  in  the  Beginning.  The  Word  ivas,  cxiited,  ami 
had  a  Being,  in  the  Beginning,  when  Time,  and  all 
created  Beings  firft  began  to  be  ;  and  therefore  Ho 
exifted  before  all  Creatures,  of  every  Order  and  De- 
nomination ;  Pie  is  before  all  Things,  as  the  ^j)c;fk 
exprcfles  it,  CiL  1.17,  And  let  who  can  conceive  this 

10 


22 


The  true  Divinity 


to  mean  any  otherwife  than  from  all  ETERNITY. 
It  is  alfo  faid  of  Him,  Heb.  XIII.  8.  JESUS  CHRIST 
to  Day,  Yejlerday  and  forever  the  fame.  Which  fpeaks 
not  only  the  Immutability  of  His  Office  and  Doftrine, 
but  the  Immutability  and  Eternity  of  His  Perfon.  To 
which  Purpofe  alfo,  the  Apoftle,  quoting  a  PafTage  out 
of  the  Hundredth  andfecond  Tfalm,  where  the  Tfal- 
mijt  defignedly  fetteth  the  ETERNITY  of  the  TRUE 
GOD  in  Oppofition  to  the  Finitenefs  of  all  Creatures, 
direftly  applies  it  to  CHRIST,  faying  of  Him,  Heb. 
I.  I  o.  "Thou  Lord,  in  the  Beginning,  haft  laid  the 
Foundation  of  the  Earth,  and  the  Heavens  are  the 
Works  ofthineHands ;  which  denotes  His  Preexiftence 
to  all  Worlds,  or  His  Exiftence  from  ETERNITY, 
He  goes  on,  they  Jlmll  perijh,  but  Thou  remaineft ; — 
Thou  art  the  fame,  and  Thy  Tears  flail  not  fail. 
Which  plainly  fpeaketh  His  ETERNAL  Duration.  So 
that  this  is  a  clear  Teftimony,  brought  by  an  infpired 
Writer,  to  the  true  and  proper  ETERNITY  of  JESUS 
CHRIST.  I  make  no  Doubt  but  the  infpired  Taul 
fpakeof  CHRIST,  when  he  faid,  I  Tim.VL  16.  Who 
only  hath  Immortality  :  and  it  is  plainly  faid  of  Him, 
Mic.  V.  2.  Whofe  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old, 
from  ETERNITY.  But,  what  to  me  putteth  it  beyond 
all  Queftion  is,  the  Evangelift  John  introducing  the 
Lord  JESUS  CHRIST  Himfelf  faying,  Rev.  I.  8.  I  am 
jilpha  and  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the  Ending  ; 
faith  the  Lord,  -which  is,  and  'which  ivas,  and  'which 
is  to  come.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Beginning 
and  the  Ending,  is  evidently  taken  from  the  Character 
of  the  TRUE  GOD,  in  I/a.  XLIV.  6.  Thus  faith  JE- 
HOVAH, the  King  of  Ijrael,  and  his  Redeemer  the 
Lord  of  Ho/Is,  1  am  the  Jirji,  and  I  am  the  laft>  and 

befides 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  23 

befides  me  there  is  no  GOD.  Thefe  Words  of  Ifaiah 
are  evidently  fpoken  of  CHRIST,  who  is  the  King  of 
Ifrael,  his  Redeemer,  the  Lord  of  HoJIs  •  and  there- 
fore very  properly  ufed  by  CHR  i  ST.  The  Lord,  which 
is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  is  clearly 
defcriptive  of  the  proper  ETERNITY  of  the  everliving 
GOD,  who  ever  did,  now  does,  and  forever  will,exift  ; 
and  moft  probably  are  fpoken  of  the  eternal  Father, 
ver.  4.  but  here  are  fpokeq  by  JESUS  CHRIST,  and  of 
himfelf.  So  that  in  this  we  have  a  full  and  clear  Ac- 
count, if  words  can  give  it,  of  the  proper  ETERNITY 
of  JESUS  CHRIST,  in  the  natural  Senfe  of  the  Words. 

AND  let  us  fee,  if  we  cannot  find  Him  to  be  a 
felf-exiftent  and  independent  Being.  Now  befide,  that 
Being  properly  eternal,  as  I  think  we  have  proved 
JESUS  CHRIST  to  be,  neceflarily  infers  him  to  be  felf- 
exiftent  and  independent,  becaufe  there  can  be  no 
Being  prior  to  Him,  from  which  He  fhould  derive, 
and  on  which  He  can  be  dependent;  I  fay,  befide  this, 
we  find  the  facred  Scriptures  give  us  tb  underfland, 
that  the  fame  Marks  and  Charafters  of  felf-exiftent 
and  independent,  (for  the  Words  are  not  to  be  found 
in  holy  Writ,)  which  belong  unto  theonlyTRUE  GOD, 
are  afcribed  alfo  unto  JESUS  CHRIST.  Thus  when 
Mofes  enquired  of  GOD,  what  he  fhould  fay  to  them 
that  afked  him,  What  is  the  Name  of  Him  that  fent 
you,  we  arc  informed,  Exod.  III.  1 4.  God  f aid  unto 
Mofes,  lam  that  I  am  :  and  He  f  aid,  thus  Jh  alt  thou 
fay  unto  the  Children  of  Ifrael,  I  A  M  hath  fent  me 
unto  you.  It  may  be  this  is  the  moft  direft  and  ex- 
prefs  Ailertion  of  the  Self -exigence  and  Independency 
of  the  Divine  Being,  of  any  Paffage  in  the  Holy 

Scriptures, 


2 ^  The  true  Divinity 

Scriptures ;  tho'  there  are  many  others  that  necefla- 
rily  infer  the  fame.  For  all,  that  have  any  Under- 
ftanding  in  the  Hebrew  Language,  do  know  that  this 
PJirafe,  I  AM,  carries  in  it  abfolute  Being  andExiftence. 
And  \ve  find  that  this  veryPhrafe,  (tho'  in  the  Greek 
Language,)  is  direclly  applied  to,  and  afTumed  by  our 
Lord  JESUS  CHRIST  Himfelf,  who  never  (pake  other- 
wife  than  the  Words  of  Truth.  For,  faid  He  unto 
the  Jews,  who,  upon  a  certain  Occafion,  tell  Him, 
He  was  not  yet  Fifty  Years  old,  Job.  VIII.  58.  Before 
Abraham  ivas,  /AM:  not  I  ivas,  which  would  have 
been  a  full  Reply  to  the  Objection  they  had  made, 
but  /  AM  ;  thereby  challenging  unto  Himfelf,  and 
that  with  a  double  AlTeveration,  verily,  verily,  the 
appropriate  Character  of  the  ETERNAL  GOD,  to  (hew 
that  the  Jelf-exifting  and  independent  Nature  of  the 
TRUE  GOD  was  in  Him. 

AND  now,  fince  the  Divine  Attributes,  and  thofe 
efpecially  which  are  incommunicable  to  any  mere 
Creature,  even  of  the  higheft  Order,  are  to  be  found 
in  the  facred  Scriptures,  afcribed  to  our  Lord  JESUS 
CHRIST,  we  may  with  great  Juftice  to  our  Reafon, 
look  upon  this  as  a  clear  and  full  Proof,  that  all  the 
Perfections  of  the  God-Head  arc  to  be  found  in  Him, 
and  that  in  the  higheft  Senfc  of  them  ;  and  therefore 
have  all  imaginable  Reafon  to  conclude,  that  This  is 
the  TRUE  GOD,  as  the  Apoftle  affirms  Him  in  my 
Text  to  be.  I  pafs  to  fay, 

•3.  THE  facred  Scriptures  afTureus,  that  the  great  and 
diftingnifhing  Works  of  GOD  were  wrought  by  our 
Lord  JESUS  OI&IST  •  which  abundantly  proves  Him 

to 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  2* 

id  be  the  TRUE  GOD.  Here  I  do  not  take  into  Confi- 
deratioh  thofe  miraculous  Operations  which  were  per^ 
formed  by  the  Concurrence  of  the  Divine  Prefened 
and  Power,  with  the  Agency  of  Men  or  Angels  ;  but 
I  {peak  only  of  thofe  Works  of  GOD  which  are  fa 
peculiarly  arid  diftinguifhingly  His  own  Operations, 
and  which  no  Creature  is,  or  could  be,  the  Author  of. 
As  particularly,  the  Creation,  Sujlentation  and  Govern- 
ment of  the  World  ;  \vhich  are  wonderful  Difplays 
of  almighty  Power  and  bbundlefs  Wifdom  and  Good- 
nefs.  Rcfpefting  the  two  laft  of  thefe  Iiiftances,  I 
fhall  only  now  obferve,  That  it  is  entirely  out  of  the 
Reach  of  any  mere  Creature  to  fupport  the  World, 
becaufe  it  requires  an  almighty  Power,  which  no  mere 
Creature  is  furnifhed  with.  And  tho'  fbme  Creatures 
may  be  employed  as  Inftruments  in  fome  Parts  of  the 
Government  of  the  World,  yet  it  is  abfolutely  neceC- 
fary,  that  the  fupreara  Governour  of  the  Univerfe, 
the  fiHt  Caufe  of  all  Things,  fhould  be  every  where 
prefent,  at  one  and  the  lame  Time^  to  infpecl:  the  va- 
rious Wants,  Situation  and  Circumftances  of  Things, 
and  to  direct,  aflift  and  govern  thofe  Inftruments  He 
may  make  Ufe  of ;  which  no  Creature  can  be  Capa- 
ble of. 

As  to  the  former  of  thefe  Inflances,  the  creating 
of  the  World,  This  is  apparently  more  peculiar  to  the 
TRUE  GOD  ;  of  which  the  facred  Writings  give  us 
a  full  and  clear  Account.  As  in  the  Mofalc  Hiitory 
of  the  Creation,  in  the  firft  Chapter  of  Genefis.  And 
fo  fang  the  Levites,  Neh.  IX.  6.  Thou,  even  Thou 
art  Lord  alone  ;  Thou  haft  made  Heaven,  the  Heaven 
of  Heavens,  ivith  all  their  Hojl  ;  the  Eafth,  and  all 

D  Thinrs, 


26  The  true  Divinity 

Things  that  are  therein  ;  the  Seas,  and  all  that  u 
therein.  And  how  often  does  GOD  affume  it  to 
Himfelf,  as  His  fole  Prerogative,  to  be  the  Creator 
of  all  Things  ?  As  in  If  a.  XLV.  12.  I  have  made  the 
Earth,  and  created  Man  upon  it  ;  even  my  Hands 
have  Jiretchcd  out  the  Heavens,  and  their  Ho/is  have 
I  commanded. 

Nowallof  thefe  great  &  (hipcndous /^nfo  of  GOD, 
which  declare  Him  to  be  GOD  alone,  are,  in  the  fa- 
cred  Scriptures,  affirmed  to  be  wrought  by  our  Lord 
JESUS  CHRIST.  Colos.I.ij.  By  Him  all  Things 
confijl  ;  are  upheld,  preferved,  and  continued  in  Being. 
Eph.  I.  22.  All  Things  are  faid  to  be  put  under  his 
Feet  ;  in  Subjection  to  his  Rule  and  Government ;  for 
the  Government  Jhall  be  upon  His  Shoulders,  Ifa.  IX.  6* 

BUT  what  I  more  fpecially  take  Notice  of  is,  that 
the  Holy  Writings  aflure  us,  that  JESUS  CHRIST  is 
the  Maker  of  the  World,  and  all  the  Creatures  in  it. 
Therefore  the  Apoftle  John  fays,  Job.  1. 3.  All  Things 
'were  made  by  Him,  and  without  Him  'was  not  any 
Thing  made  that  ivas  made  :  and  again,  ver.  I  o.  He 
was  in  the  World,  and  the  World  was  made  by  Him. 
He  firft  affirms  that  all  Things^  without  any  Excep- 
tion, all  Worlds,  and  the  feveral  Creatures  in  them, 
'were  made  by  Him  :  and  then  he  as  ftrongly  denies, 
that  there  was  fo  much  as  any  one  Thing  received  a 
Being,  but  what  received  it  from  Him  \  without  Him 
was  not  any  Thing  made  that  was  made.  From  which 
it  is  very  evident,  that  He  was  not  made  Himfelf,  for 
then  it  could  not  have  been  faid,  all  Things  were  made 
by  Him  ;  there  would  have  been  Something  made, 

which 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  27 

which  He  did  not  make.  One  would  think,  that  it 
is  hardly  poflible  to  find  out  any  Language,  which 
would  more  ftrongly  deny  that  JESUS  CHRIST  is  3. 
Creature  ;  and  if  He  be  not  a  Creature,  then  He  is 
the  TRUE  GOD,  the  Creator  of  all  Things.  But 
could  not  GOD  (will  fome  fay,)  have  made  a  Crea- 
ture, by  whom  He  fhould  make  all  Things  ?  I  think 
I  may,  without  attempting  to  limit  the  Holy  One  of 
Ifraely  venture  to  anfwer  in  the  Negative.  Becaufe 
the  infinitely  holy  and  good  GOD  cannot  contradict 
Himfelf,  nor  impofe  upon  us.  He  that  made  all 
Things  is  GOD  ;  this  is  one  of  the  firft  natural  Coa- 
ceptions  of  the  Humane  Mind,  and  this  is  what  GOD 
hath  made  Himfelf  known  to  us  by,  in  his  hojy  Word, 
in  too  many  Places  to  be  now  named.  And  there- 
fore to  imagine  that  GOD  has  made  a. Creature,  which 
Creature  by  itfelf,  its  own  Power  and  Ability,  has  made 
the  World,  is  to  fuppofe,  that  a  Creature  diftincl:  from 
GOD,  and  infinitely  below  Him,  is  the  Maker  of  all 
Things,  when  it  is  clearly  evident,  that  it  could  not 
make  itfelr  ;  and  carries  in  it  this  grofs  Abfardity,  that 
the  infinitely  good  and  holy  GOD  has  impofed  upon 
our  Under  (landing,  in  leading  ns  to  conceive  of  Him 
as  the  alone  Maker  of  the  World,  when  really  it  was 
made  by  another  ;  and  this  flagrant  Contradiction,  that 
the  GOD  of  Truth  is  not  true  to  Himfelf.  It  is 
therefore  but  a  vain  Conceit,  advanced  in  Support  of 
a  groundjefs  Scheme,  built  upon  vain  Philofophy,  that 
the  Apoftle  John,  in  the  Beginning  of  his  Gofpel,  is 
{peaking,  not  of  a  natural,  but  of  a  moral  Creation  : 
when  there  is  not  fo  much  as  the  lead:  Hint  given, 
thro'out  the  whpje  Paragraph,  to  lead  us  into  fuch  a 
Conception. 

B  2 


\ 


2  8  The  true  Divinity 

BUT  if  this  Text  was  out  of  the  Way,  we  have 
full  Teftimony,  from  other  Parts  of  the  facred  Scripr 
tures,  to  the  Truth  of  Jisus  CHRIST  His  being  the 
Creator  of  all  Things.  To  name  onjy  that  in  Colos. 
I.  15,  1 6.  There  the  ApofHe  is  fpeaking  of  Him,  in 
ivhom  ive  have  Redemption  thro  his  Blood,  and  fays 
he  of  him,  ivho  is  the  Image  of  the  inyifible  GOD, 
the  Firft-born  (or,  as  I  think  it  fhould  be  read,  the 
Firft  Canfe,  QtBringer  forth  ^)  of  every  Creature  :  for 
by  Him  were  all  Things  created,  that  are  in  Heaven, 
and  that  are  in  Earth,  vifible  and  invifible  ;  'whether 
they  be  Thrones,  cr  Dominions,  or  Principalities,  or 
Towers  •  all  "Things  *wcre  created  by  Him,  and  for  Him. 
Under  which  Expreffions  the  Apoftle  meaneth  to  in- 
clude every  Rank  and  Order  of  created  Beings,  from 
the  loweft  to  the  highefr,  and  affirms  that  they  were 
all  created  by  Him,  ai)d  he  doubles  his  Affirmation, 
all  Things  'were  created  by  Him,  to  affaire  us,  that 
there  is  not  fo  much  as  one  mere  Creature,  but  what 
was  created  by  Him.  Therefore  He  Himfelf  could 
not  be  a  mere  Creature  ^  for  He  could  *not  make 
Himfelf.  And  {hall  we,  after  all  this  Force  of  Lanr 
guage  to  the  contrary,  vainly  imagine,  that  there  is  a 
Creature  which  He  did  not  make?  Ikfuies  the  Apoftle 
further  adds,  and  for  Him  ;  to  fliew,  that  as  all  Things, 
originate  from  Him,  fo  they  all  ultimately  terminate 
in  Him,  and  were  made  for  His  Glory  ;  fo  that  He 
is  the  j/fry?  Cauje,  and  Iqft  End  of  all  Things,  which 
is  the  high  Character  of  the  only  TRUE  GOD. 

IT  were  eafy  to  turn -to  other  Parts  of  holy  Writ, 
which  aflert  the  fame  Doctrine,  but  I  need  not  :  I 
fliall  therefpre  only  fay,  that,  from  this  clear  Account, 

which 


of  JESUS  CHRIST,  29 

which  Divine  Infpiration  gives  us,  of  JESUS  CHRIST 
His  being  the  Creator,  and  Maker  of  all  Worlds,  and 
all  the  Creatures  in  them,  we  have  a  full  and  demon- 
ftrative  Proof,  that  He  is  the  TRUE  GOD,  becaufe 
none  but  the  TRUE  GOD  can  be  the  Creator  of  all 
Things.  From  the  Creation  of  the  World  are  clearly 
feen  the  invifible  Things  of  GOD,  even  His  eternal 
Tower  and  Godhead,  Rom.  I.  20.  Nor  is  it  in  the 
Power  of  the  nioft  penetrating  Genius,  and  moft  fubtle 
metaphyilcal  Head,  to  difcover  a  fingle  PafTage,  in  all 
the  Divine  Infpiratipns,  that  ftyles  the  Creator  of  the 
World,  or,  JESUS  CHRIST,  a  mere  Creature.  But 
I  proceed  to  the  fourth  and  laft  Head  of  Argument 
propofed  ;  namely, 

4.  The  peculiar  Honours,  which  are  due  unto  the 
only  living,  and  TRUE  GOD,  are  to  be  given  unto  our 
Lord  JESUS  CHRIST,  and  that  by  Divine  Direction 
and  Appointment  ;  which  is  an  abundant  Proof  that 
He  is  the  TRUE  GOD.  By  the  Honours  due  unto 
the  only  TRUE  GOD  is  meant  Religious  Worfhip,  as 
Faith  in  Him,  Love  to  Him,  Reverence  and  Fear  of 
Him.  our  Prayers  and  Praifes  to  Him,  our  nnivcrfal 
and  unlimited  Obedience  and  SubmifTion  to  His  Will, 
in  all  Things  concerning  us,  with  our  final  Accoiin- 
tablenefs  to  Him  ;  which  we,  and  all  reafonable  Crea- 
tures, owe  to  Him,  as  our  Maker,  Prefervcr,  Benefac- 
tor and  fupream  Judge.  This  Homage  GOD  chal- 
lenges from  us,  as  what  of  Right  belongcth  to  Him, 
and  to  no  other.  The  Proof  of  this,  from  the  facred 
Scriptures,  in  the  Whole,  and  in  the  feveral  Parts,  are 
fo  numerous  and  fo  plain,  that  I  know  not  well  which 
.  fo  turn  you  to.  Let  it  fuffice  to  quote  the  Saying  of 


30  The  true  Divinity 

Mofes,  the  Man  of  GOD,  Exod.  XXXIV.  14. 

Jhalt  'worflnp  no  other  G OD,  for  the  Lord  -whofe  Name 
is  Jealous,  is  a  jealous  GOD  :  and  that  of  the  royal 
Tfalmift,  Tf.  XXIX.  2.  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  Ho- 
nour due  unto  His  Name,  ivor/hip   the   Lord  in  the 
Beauty  of  Holinefs ;  and  of  our  SAVIOUR,  Math.  IV. 
10.  Thou  Jhalt  luorfhip  the  Lord  thy  GOD,  and  Him 
only  Jhalt  thouferve.     It    was   apparently   one   great: 
Defign  of  Divine  Revelation  to  call  off  an  idolatrous 
World,  from  the  Acknowledgment  and  Worfhipping 
of  many  falfe  Gods,  to  the  Worfhip  of  the  One,  on  ly 
living  and  TRUE  GOD.     And  as   the  Divine  Being 
efforts  it,  as  His  peculiar  Right,  to  be  GOD  alone,    fo 
He  lets  us  know,  that  He  is  fo  jealous  of  the  fpecial 
Honours  which  are  due  unto  Him,  that  He  will  not 
fuffer  any  Part  thereof  to  be  given  to   $ny  Creature 
whatever :  as  in   the  foremen tioned  Jfa.  XLIL  8.  / 
am  the  Lord,  that  is  my  Name ;  and  my  Glory  ivill  I  not 
give  to  another,  neither  my  ^Praife  to  graven  Images. 

NEVERTHELESS,  notwithftanding  the  peculiar 
Right  of  the  TRUE  GOD  to  thefe  Divine  Honours, 
and  the  folemn  Enclofure  around  this  (acred  Mount, 
that  whofoever  fhould  invade  it  the  Wrath  of  the 
Lord  would  be  enkindled  againft  that  Man,  and  he 
Ihould  furely  perifh  ;  for  curfed  is  the  Man,  that  mak- 
eth  any  molten  or  graven  Image,  an  Abomination  to 
the  Lord  :  yet  we  have  the  fulleft  Affurance,  that  all 
of  this  Divine  Honour  is  to  be  given  unto  the  Lord 
JESUS  CHRIST,  by  Meq  upon  Earth,  and  by  Angels 
in  Heaven.  We  are  to  believe  in  Him,  to  love  and 
reverence  Him,  to  pray  to  Him,  and  praife  Him,  to 
obey  and  ferye  Him,  and  that  rcligioufiy,  with  all 

the 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  31 

the  Powers  of  our  Minds,  as  well  as  thofe  of  our 
Bodies,  and  to  account  unto  Him  as  our  Judge. 
Thus  it  was  prophefied  of  Him,  who  fhould  be  a 
Light  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  for  Salvation  unto  the 
Ends  of  the  Earth,  Ifa.  XLIX.  7.  Kings  fhould  fee, 
and  arife,  and  Trinces  alfofljould  'worfhip  Him.  Zecha- 
riah  prophefied  of  Him,  ivhofe  Feet  fhould  Jland 
upon  Mount  Olivet,  Zee.  XIV.  1 6.  He  fhoidd  be 
King  over  all  the  Earth,  and  they  fhould  go  uf  from 
Tear  to  Tear,  to  ivorfhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  HoJL 
The  high  Intelligences  of  the  heavenly  World,  who 
furround  the  Throne  of  GOD  with  their  joyful  -%/- 
lelujahs,  are  commanded  to  worfhip  Him.  Heb.  I.  6. 
When  He  bringeth  in  the  Firfl-begotten  into  the  World, 
He  faith,  let  all  the  Angels  of  GOD  ivorfhip  Him. 
And  thefe  bright  and  morning  Stars  are  reprefented 
as  paying  their  religious  Acknowledgments  to  Him, 
cafting  their  Crowns  before  the  Throne,  and  worihip- 
ing  Him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  faying,  Rev.  V. 
12.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  -was  Jlain  to  receive 
Tower,  and  Riches,  and  Wifdom,  and  Strength,  and 
Honour,  and  Glory,  and  Blefflng.  And  'tis  added, 
ver.  i  3.  Every  Creature  'which  is  in  Heaven,  and  on 
the  Earth,  and  under  the  Earth,  andfuch  as  are  in 
the  Sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  /,  faying, 
BleJ/ing,  Honour,  Glory  and  6Pcrwer  be  unto  Him  that 
Jitteth  upon  the  Throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  forever  and 
ever.  In  a  Word,  the  great  GOD  and  Father  of  all 
Things  hath  made  it  the  Duty  of  all  Men,  command- 
ing them  to  honour  the  SON,  as  they  honour  the  FAJ 
THER,  Job.V.  23.  TO  pay  the  fame  religious  Wor- 
fhip to  the  SON,  which  they  are  to  pay  unto  the  ?A* 
THER,  And  we  are  allured,  -Rom.  XIV.  10.  We 

fhall 


The  true  Divinity 

Jhall  all  Jl and  before  the  Judgment  Seat  of  CHRIST/ 
f 

Now  what  a  full  and  clear  Proof  is  this,  that  JE- 
SUS CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD  ?  For  if  He  were 
not  truely  GOD,  partaking  of  the  Divine  Nature  and 
Efface,  but  only  a  mere  Creature,  we  fliould  be  guilty 
of  the  grofTefl  Idolatry  in  giving  Divine  Honour  to 
that  which  is,  by  Nature,  no  GOD  :  arid  the  ever  living 
JEHOVAH  Himfelf,  in  commanding  Men '& Angels  to' 
worfliip  Him,  would  be  introduced,  inftead  of  curing 
the  World  of  Idolatry,  as  the  great  Patron  of  it ;  than 
which  nothing  is  more  contradictory  to  His  Nature, 
and  abhorrent  to  the  Divine  Majefty.  So  that,  from 
this  brief  Account,  which  I  have  fet  before  you,  it 
appeareth  plainly  evident,  from  the  facred  Scriptures^ 
the  only  Rule  of  our  Faith,  that  it  is  an  eftablifhed 
Truth,  and  what  we  ought  firmly  to  abide  in  the  Be- 
lief of,  that  JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD. 

BUT  it  is  Time  to  improve  this  Doftrine  in  a  few 
Hints, 

i .  And  now,  my  Beloved,  ftand  (till,  arid  admire', 
and  magnify  the  ftupehdous  Grace  of  our  GOD  ;  that 
the  high  and  lofty  one,  who  inhabiteth  Eternity,  and 
dwelleth  in  Light  unapproachable,  fhould  condefcend 
to  afflime  the  Humane  Nature  into  a  perfbnal  Union 
•with  Himfelf;  a  Nature  fo  deeply  guilty  and  polluted, 
and  obnoxious  to. the  Vengeance  of  Heaven;  that, 
as  a  glorious  and  powerful  Mediator  for  us,  taberna- 
cling in  Flefli,  and  every  Wa"y  adapted  to  our  Neceffi- 
ties,  He  might  fubmit  to  a  Series  of  the  greateft  Mean- 
nefTes  and  Sufferings,  and  to  the  moft  iharrieful  and 

painful 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  33 

painful  Death,  on  our  Behalf,  to  fatisfy  for  our  ma- 
nifold and  enormous  Offences,  and  buy  off  the  heavy 
Punifhment,  which  our  Sins  had  juftly  deferved ;  and 
by  a  Life  of  confummate  Obedience  inftrucl:  us  in  the 
whole  of  our  Duty,  and  bring  in  an  everlafting  High- 
teoufnefs,  wherein  we  may  appear  before  an  infinite- 
ly holy  GOD,  as  without  Spot,  or  Wrinkle,  or  any 
fuch  Thing  ;  and  by  His  Obedience  and  Sufferings 
procure  for  us  the  Gift  of  the  holy  Spirit,  to  renew 
and  fanftify  our  Natures,  and  transform  us  into  the 
Divine  Likenefs,  and  to  open  to  us  a  new  and  living 
Way  into  the  holieft,  the  endlefs  Glory  and  Happi- 
nefs  of  the  heavenly  World. 

O  LET  the  Thoughts  of  this  high  and  true  Dig- 
nity, which  the  incarnate  SON  of  GOD  hath  raifed 
our  ruined  Nature  unto,  infpire  us  with  an  holy  Am- 
bition of  Soul,  never  to  indulge  ourfelves  in  any 
Thing  that  would  debafe,  and  caft  Contempt  and  Dif- 
honour  upon  it.  And  let  the  View  of  this  wondrous 
Grace  and  Love  to  us,  in  the  SON  of  GOD  emptying 
Himfelf  for  us,  that  we  might  be  filled  with  the 
Bleffings  of  Goodnefs,  conftrain  us  to  love  and  ferve 
Him  with  all  our  Powers,  both  of  Body  and  of 
Mind,  as  long  as  we  live,  yea,  while  we  have  any  Being. 

2.  SEE,  my  Friends,  what  a  firm  Foundation  we 
have  for  our  Faith  and  Hope  in  a  mighty  and  glori- 
ous Redeemer,  who  is  truely  GOD,  as  well  as  really 
MAN.  For  He  has  not  only  the  tender  Sympathy 
of  the  Humane,  but  the  boundlefs  Companions  of  the 
Divine  Nature  in  Conjunction,  in  continual  and  vi- 
gorous Exercife  towards  us,  under  all  our  Weakneffes 
and  Infirmities,  our  Wants  and  Diffyeffes,  our  Temp- 

E  radons 


34  5Tfo  true  Divinity 

tations  and  Tryals  ;  and  knoweth  how,  and  is  able 
and  willing  to  fuccour  us  ;  and  with  the  Temptation 
will  find  out  a  Way  for  our  Efcape,  that  we  may 
be  able  to  bear  it.  What  mighty  Encouragement  is 
this  to  us,  to  caft  all  our  Cares  upon  Him  who  careth 
for  us  ? 

AND  becaufe  the  trucly  Divine  and  Humane  Na- 
tures are  fo  clofely  united  in  our  Lord  JESUS  CHRIST, 
as  that  in  Him  dwelleth  the  Fulnefs  of  the  GOD-HEAD 
bodily,  therefore  we  may  be  fure,  that  His  Sacrifice  of 
Atonement  is  perfectly  meritorious,  and  His  Interceffi- 
on  moft  valid  and  efficacious,  to  procure  the  full  Par- 
don of  all  our  Sins,  be  they  ever  fo  many  and  great,  & 
bring  us  into  a  State  of  Peace  and  Friendfhip  with  our 
GOD  ;  to  -obtain  for  us  the  fanctifying  and  comfort- 
ing Influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  and  to  fecure  to 
us  the  promifed  Mercy  of  our  GOD  unto  eternal  Life. 
So  that  upon  this  folid  Foundation,  we  may  fafely 
build  our  Faith  and  Hope,  that  -whofoever  believeth 
in  Himfaall  not  perijh^  but  have  everlqfting  Life. 


IF  JESUS  CHRIST  is  not  truely  GOD,  as  well  as 
MAN,  I  cannot  fee  upon  what  good  Foundation,  a 
reafonable,  but  guilty,  Creature  could  poffibly  place 
his  Faith  in  Him,  or  build  a  well  grounded  Hope  of 
eternal  Salvation  ;  for  all  his  own  Obedience  would 
be  fo  very  defective,  and  fhort  of  the  Demands  of  the 
exceeding  broad  Law  of  GOD,  as  that  it  could  never 
recommend  him  to  the  Divine  Favour,  fo  as  to  obtain 
the  Forgivenefs  of  his  Sins,  and  an  Inheritance  among 
them  that  are  fanctified  ;  and  aSAviouR,  who  is  but 
a  mere  Creature,  could  not  poffibly  have  any  Thing 
properly  meritorious  in  him,  nor  a  Sufficiency  of  Pow- 

er 


of  JESUS  CHRIST.  35 

er  to  confer  the  promifed  BlefTednefs,  upon  them  that 
put  their  Truft  in  Him. 

3.  LET  us  all  therefore,  my  Brethren,  hold  fail 
this  great  Gofpel  Truth,  which  Divine  Revelation  only 
niaketh  known  to  us  ;  and  fufier  no  Man  to  take 
away  this  Crown  from  us,  That  JESUS  CHRIST  is 
the  TRUE  GOP.  Well  might  our  bleiTed  SAVIOUR 
lay,  Job.  X.  30.  I  and  my  Father  are  One  ;  one  in 
Nature  and  EfTence,  as  well  as  in  Will  and  Operation, 
thereby  making  Himfelf  equal  with  GOD  ;  and  His 
.Jtpofik  allures  us,  Thil  II.  6.  fie  thought  it  no  Rob- 
bery to  be  equal  ivith  GOD  :  He  looked  upon  it  as  no 
Invafion  of  the  Rights  of  the  fupream  Deity  to  be 
equal  with  GOD.  And  {hall  we  vainly  attempt  to 
reduce  Him  to  the  State  of  a  mere  Creature  ?  of  the 
whole  Univerfe  of  which  it  can  not  be  faid,  they  are 
equal  with  GOD.  Shall  we  efteem  Him  a  finite  Being, 
the  Refult  of  the  Will  of  a  Maker,  to  whom  all  the 
peculiar  Titles  and  Attributes  of  the  eternal  Godhead 
.belong  ?  Or  that  He  is  made  by  and  dependent  upon 
Another  for  His  Being,  who  is  the  great  Maker •,  Tre- 
ferver  and  Qovmiour  of  the  Univerfe  ?  Or  that  He 
is  infinitely  below  the  Deity,  who  has  a  juft  Right  to 
ail  the  incommunicable  Honours  of  the  TRUE  GOD  ? 
No  ;  let  the  Abfurdity  be  far  from  our  Thoughts  ; 
rather  kt  us,  in  the  Faith  of  the  Divine  Revelation, 
belicvingjy  fay  with  Thomas,  Job.  XX.  28.  My  Lord 
and  my  GoJ !  O  give  unto  Him  the  Glory  which  is 
His  due,  by  our  Faith  in  Him,  as  JEHOVAH  our 
Right  eoufnej},  in  whom  r.'r  have  everla/ling  Strength ; 
and  our  Obedience  to  Him,  as  our  Lstnviriver,  our 
,  and  our  J^Y./^V.  Then  may  we  \vith  Comfort 
E  2  look- 


36  The  true  Divinity 

look  for  the  blejfed  Hope  and  glorious  Appearing  of  tht 
GREAT  GOD  and  OUR  SAVIOUR  JESUS  CHRIST  ; 
and  TV  hen  He,  ivho  is  our  Life,  foall  appear,  then 
Jliall  we  alfo  appear  'with  Him  in  Glory. 

SUFFER  me,  feeing  it  hath  pleafed  a  merciful  GOD 
to  fpare  me  to  a  great  old  Age,  to  fpend  fome  of  my 
lateft  Breaths,  in  averting  and  vindicating  the  Honour 
of  our  common  SAVIOUR,  by  improving  this  laft 
Opportunity  I  can  ever  expeci  of  (landing  in  this 
Place,, and  upon  fuch  an  Occafion,  to  addrefs  myfelf, 
with  great  Humility,  and  all  due  Refpefts,  particular- 
ly to  my  younger  Brethren  in  the  Miniftry,  and  to 
the  Candidates  therefor.  Dearly  beloved  in  our  Lord 
JESUS  CHRIST,  let  it  be  your  great  Care  firftly  to  get 
your  own  Hearts  firmly  eftablifhed  in  the  Faith  of  this 
vital  Principle  of  the  Chriftian  Religion,  and  then  to 
Anftruct  the  Souls  that  may  be  under  your  Charge, 
and  confirm  them  in  the  Belief  of  it,  that  the  Lord 
JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD. 

REMEMBER,  my  Brethren,  you  owe  this  in  Fide- 
lity to  your  Lord,  and  in  Love  to  the  Souls  of  His 
and  your  People.  You  owe  it  in  Fidelity  to  your 
Lord  and  Mafter,  both  your  Lord  and  ours.  For  if, 
thro'  an  Affectation  of  being  thought  deeply  ftudied 
in  Philofophy,  you  fhould  infmuate  in  your  Conver- 
fation,  or  pubjickly  teach  your  People,  ptherwife  than 
this  wholfome  Doctrine  of  found  Words,  that  JESUS 
CHRIST,  the  SON  of  GOD,  and  SAVIOU&  of  the 
World  is  the  TRUE  GOD,  would  you  not  degrade 
Him  from  His  Throne  of  Glory,  (trip  Him  of  His 
peculiar  Honours,  and  number  Him,  who  is  higher 
than  all  the  angelic  Orders,  in  the  Rank  of  Beings, 

the 


of  JE.SUS  CHRIST.  37 

the  molt  exalted  and  refined  of  which  is  infinitely 
below  the  Deity  ;  and  thereby  caft  the  higheft  Con- 
tempt and  Indignity  upon  Him  ?  Would  not  fuch  a 
Treatment  of  the  incarnate  SON  of  GOD  expofeyou 
to  die  Danger  of  being  found  among  thofe  Teachers, 
of  whom  'Peter  fays,  II.  Tet.  II.  'They  bring  in  dam- 
nable Herefas,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought 
them  ?  or  Judes  ungodly  Men,  before  of  old  ordained 
to  Condemnation,  -who  turn  the  Grace  of  God  into 
Lafcivioufnefs,  denying  the  only  Lord  GOD,  and  our 
LorJjEsvs  CHRIST  ?  Judever.  4. — Where,  by  the 
Way,  I  obferve,  that  the  Article  in  the  Greek,  placed 
before  the  only  LORD  GOD,  without  any  before  our 
Lord  JESUS  CHRIST,  evidently  flieweth,  (for  the 
Rcafon  before  mentioned,)  that  it  is  one  and  the  fame 
Subjeft,  that  is  fpoken  of  the  only  LORD  GOD,  and 
OUR  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST. 

AND  you  owe  it  in  Love  to  the  precious  Souls  of 
His  and  your  People,  who  are  put  under  your  parti- 
cular Care.  For  if,  by  an  urtmanly  Sneer  at  the  great 
Doftrine  of  the  true  DIVINITY  of  CHRIST,  or  by 
laboured  and  fophiftical  Periods,  you  fliould  teach 
them  any  Thing  herein,  that  is  contrary  to  the  found 
Doctrine  of  the  glorious  Gofpel  of  the  blefled  GOD, 
will  you  not  be  guilty  of  leading  them  into  grofs 
Error  ?  of  teaching  them  to  believe  in  and  worfliip 
a  meer  Creature,  inftead  of  the  only  TRUE  GOD, 
and  fo  blindly  conduct  them  into  abominable  Idola- 
try ?  Will  you  not  herein  direct  them  to  build  all 
their  Hopes  of  Salvation  upon  a  fandy  Foundation, 
which,  in  the  Time  of  Tryal,  will  prove  ruinous  and 
deftruftivc  to  their  immortal  Souls  ?  And  if  the  Blood 

of 


38  T^  //ra  Dfpiniijh  &c. 

of  Souls  (hould  at  laft  be  found  to  lie  at  your  Doors, 
•what  the  Confequence  of  this  will  prove  unto  your- 
felves,  you  are  fully  able  to  judge. 

.1  DO  not  write  nor  {peak  thefe  Things,  my  Bre- 
thren, to  fhame  any  of  you,  but,  as  my  Beloved,  I 
would  humbly  warn  you.  Neither  would  I  be  un- 
derftood  to  mean,  that  every  Man  fhould  be  tied  up 
to  exactly  the  fame  Mode  of  Speech  ;  for  I  look  upon 
a  Controverfy  about  Words  both  as  unmanly  and  un- 
chriftian  ;  but  that  we  fhould  carefully  prcferve  and 
teach  the  Effentials  of  this  fublime  Doftrine,  that 
JESUS  CHRIST  is  the  TRUE  GOD,  and  contend  ear- 
neftly  for  this  Faith,  which,  from  Heaven,  has  been 
delivered  unto  the  Saints. 

LET  therefore  the  (acred  Scriptures,  my  Brethren, 
be  the  only  Rule  by  which  we  judge  of,  and  the  fure 
Foundation  on  which  we  build,  all  the  Doftrines 
of  the  great  Myfteries  of  the  Chriftiau  Religion  ;  and 
let  us  not  fuffer  ourfelves  to  be  warped  and  turned 
away  from  the  Truth,  as  it  is  in  JESUS,  by  any  of  the 
precarious  Principles,  and  uncertain  Maxims  of  Tin- 
lofophy  ;  which,  however  valuable  in  the  Things  of 
Nature,  to  which. they  properly  belong,  and  however 
ornamental  they  may  be  to  him  that  poffefTcs  them, 
can  no  more  be  a  Standard  by  which  to  judge  of  re- 
vealed Myftcries,  than  the  (canty,  finite  llcafon  of 
Man  can  be  a  fit  Line,  by  which  to  found  the  unfa- 
thomable Depths  of  infinite  Wifdom  &Undcflhinding. 

To  the  only  -wife  GOD  our  SAVIOUR,  bd  Glory  and 
Majejly,  Dominion  and   (Tower:   both  UQW   and 

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